Display rack



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Patented July 31, 1951 DISPLAY RACK Richard A. Klein, Boston, Mass,assignor to Mc- Cormick & 00., Incorporated, Baltimore, Md., acorporation of Maryland Application July 19, 1948, Serial No. 39,443

6 Claims.

This invention is a novel improvement in display racks or the like foruse in stores to display merchandise; and the principal object of theinvention is to provide a simple, novel, and efiicient rack consistingof a frame formed of rods or tubing, of metal or the like,adapted tosupport in superimposed relation, a plurality of shelves formed ofexpanded metal, which shelves are adjustable, supported at their ends,in the end members of the frame.

Other minor objects of the invention will be hereinafter set forth.

I will explain the invention with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, which illustrate one practical embodiment thereof, to enableothers to adopt and use the same; and will summarize in the claims, thenovel features of construction, and novel combinations of parts, forwhich protection is desired.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a front perspective View of the display rack.

Fig. 2 is a rear perspective view of the frame thereof, with the shelvesremoved.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one end of an expanded metal shelf.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a modified expanded metal shelf.

As shown, the frame of my novel display rack preferably comprises a pairof identical end members, formed of rods or tubes of metal or the like,each end member comprising a front rod I, rounded rearwardly as at m atits upper end, and extending rearwardlyas at Ib to form the top rod ofthe frame member, the inner end of top rod I b being directed downwardlyas at lo, the rods l and I0 converging upwardly, and the rod I slopingupwardly and rearwardly, as shown. Between the rods I and I0 adjacentthe top thereof are a plurality of cross rods 2 which are secured bywelding or the like to the rods l-Ic, the same making a slight anglewith the horizontal and sloping downwardly and rearwardly as shown.

The lower end of rod I is bent upwardly and rearwardly as at Id and thelower end of rod is is bent upwardly and forwardly as at Ie, the upperends of the portions Id-Ie being secured by welding or the like to thelower cross rod 2.

Extending downwardly from the upper rear corner ofeach end member is arod 3, disposedsubstantially parallel with the rod I, same terminatingat the lower cross rod 2 and being secured to the rods Ib and 2. Betweenthe rods I and 3 are a series of shelf supports 4 secured to the saidrods I and 3 by welding or the like, the same preferably being ofrelatively small diameter, and the supports 4 being substantially evenlyspaced apart and disposed parallel with the cross rods 2. Between theend members of the frame are horizontal bars 5 connecting the rods 3 ofthe respective end members, said bars 5 as shown in the drawing havingtheir ends curled as at 5a around the said rods 3. Bars 5 are maintainedin spaced relation by means of an inverted U-shaped member, the legs 6of which are spaced apart a distance less than the lengths of the bars5, the lower ends of the legs 6 terminating opposite the lower bar 5,and the top member 6a of the U-shaped member being disposed atsubstantially the height of the u per rear ends of the top rods lb, asshown in Fig. 2. The legs 5 are secured by welding or the like to therespective bars 5. Cross members I are provided for the U-shaped member,secured to the lower bar 5 adjacent the lower ends of the legs 6 and tothe remaining bars 5, the upper ends of the cross members I beingsecured to the top member 6a of the U-sha ed member adjacent the uppercorners thereof, the cross members I thereby imparting rigidity to theU-shaped member 66a to revent racking thereof.

Below the top member 6a of the U-shaped member is a rod 8 having itsends secured to the legs 6 adjacent their upper end and also secured tothe cross members I, and inverted V-shaped members 9 are secured inhorizontal spaced re-- lation to the top member 6a and the rod 8. Theframe, above described, forms a rigid structure in which the shelves maybe placed and supported in different spaced vertical elevations orpositions.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the shelves ID are pre erably formed ofsheets of expanded metal or the like, having closely spaced openingstherein for the purpose of reducing weight, the ends of the shelves I0being flanged downwardly as at I [la (Fig. 3), each shelf I0 being oflength slightly greater than the spacing between the rods 2 and 4 of thesaid end members of the frame, the front and rear corners of the shelves10 being recessed as at lob and I (Fig. 3) so that the shelves may bepassed between the rods I and 3 of the respective end members in orderto rest upon the cross rods 2 or 4 of the end members of the frame.

The front of each shelf ii is flanged downwardly and is covered by asolid strip 1 i (Fig. 3) extending the full length of the shelf, eachstrip H being secured to the front of the downturned flange in anydesired manner so as to conceal the same and to provide a flat base forthe spaced undercut horizontal strips I2-I3 (Fig. 3) at the top andbottom edge of each strip I l which strips serve as a guide for a paperor other indicia strip (not shown) in the customary manner, the indiciastrip being insertable between the guide strips I 2-! 3 from the ends ofthe base 11.

The rear end of each shelf i0 is rounded upwardly as at ltd (Fig. 3) torest against the legs 6 of the U-shaped member at the rear of the frame.In order to stiffen and form a finish for the outer ends of the flanges10a and the sides and tops of the flanges Hid, the margins arepreferably folded back upon themselves and welded together, as indicatedat Hie. Thus, the shelves l0 form rigid unitary structures, and the samemay be inserted in the frame so that their ends will rest upon any ofthe sets of cross rods 2 or 4 of the end members of the frame, the sameordinarily resting upon the cross rods 2, as indicated in Fig. 1.

The recesses lilb-Idc in the corners of each shelf ID are of sufficientdepth to allow the shelves to be readily inserted and withdrawn fromtheir respective positions in the frame members. For instance, in orderto withdraw a shelf from the frame, one end must be raised to clear thecross rods 2 or 4 upon which the shelf rests, and the shelf then shiftedtoward the opposite frame to release the raised corner, whereupon theshelf may be removed by merely lifting the said opposite end of theshelf and withdrawing same from between the rods i and 3 of the saidopposite end members.

The backs llld of the shelves l0 preferably, but not necessarily,conform with the spacing between the cross rods 2 of the frame members,the back id of the lowermost shelf it filling the gap between the twolowermost cross bars 2, while the backs Ifld of the remaining shelvesID, with the exception of the uppermost shelf, filling the gaps betweentheir related cross rod 2. The up permost shelf if! is adapted to seatupon the upper cross bar 2 and its back ltd terminates substantiallyflush with the top rod 50. of the inverted U-shaped member of the frame.

Instead of using the shelf structure shown in Figs. 1 and 3, a modifiedstructure may be used as shown in Fig. l, the same being formed ofexpanded metal having its front edge turned down and covered by thesolid strip l! at the upper and lower edges of which are provided thehorizontal strips [2 and 13. In this modification the entire end of eachshelf is not flanged down wardly as in Fig. 3, but a central portionthereof is flanged downwardly as at its: to serve the same purpose asthe flange llia, Fig. 3, thereby dispensing with the necessity ofproviding the recesses I62) and [0c as shown in Fig. 3.

By the above construction, a simple and efficient display rack isprovided in which the shelves H] are each adjustable with respect tovertical spacing by increments equal to the spacing between the crossrods 2 and 4 of the end members. The articles to be displayed may beplaced upon the shelves l0, and suitable indicia inserted between theguide strips l2 and I3 of the respective shelves and disposed oppositeor in front of the related merchandise. The frame and shelves are easyto construct, require no extraneous fastenings such as bolts or screwsto secure the parts together, and the rack will obviously be of rigidconstruction.

I do not limit my invention to the exact form shown in the drawings, forobviously changes may be made therein within the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In a display rack having a series of vertically spaced shelves, aframe comprising a back member and end members; each end membercomprising substantially vertical front and rear rods convergingupwardly and connected at their upper ends by a top rod, a series ofspaced crossrods sloping downwardly and rearwardly and connected withthe said front and rear rods, an intermediate rod extending from theupper rear corner of the end frame to the lowermost crossrod anddisposed substantially parallel with the front rod and connected withthe series of crossrods, and a series of other cross rods disposedparallel with the first series and connected with the front rod andintermediate rod; said back member connecting said end members andmaintaining same in spaced relation; and said shelves in the framehaving their ends resting upon the said cross-rods.

2. In a rack as set forth in claim 1, said back member being of invertedU-shape and having a series of cross-bars connected to and extendingbeyond the legs of the U-shaped member, with their outer ends connectedwith the inter mediate rods of the respective end members; and opposeddiagonal bars connecting the top member of the U-shaped member adjacentthe cor ners thereof and the said cross-bars respectively.

3. In a rack as set forth in claim 2, a bar disposed parallel with andbelow the top member of the U-shaped member with its ends secured to thesaid legs; and a series of spaced backing members connecting the saidbar and top memher.

4. In a rack, a frame having end members; each end member comprisingsubstantially ver tical front and rear rods converging upwardly andconnected at their upper ends by a top rod, a series of spacedcross-rods sloping downwardly and rearwardly and connected with the saidfront and rear rods, an intermediate rod extending from the upper rearcorner of the end frame to the lowermost cross-rod and disposedsubstantially parallel with the front rod and connected with the seriesof cross-rods, and a series of other cross rods disposed parallel withthe first series and connected with the front rod and intermediate rod.

5. In a display rack, a frame having a. back member and end membershaving intermediate upright bars supporting cross-bars; said back memberconnecting said end members and maintaining same in spaced relation;said back mem-- ber being of inverted U-shape and having a seriesofcross-bars connected to and extending beyond the legs of the U-shapedmember with their outer ends connected with the respective end members;and opposed diagonally disposed bars connecting the top member of theU-shaped member adjacent the corners thereof and the said cross-barsrespectively.

6. In a rack as set forth in claim 5, a bar disposed parallel with andbelow the top member of the U-shaped member with its ends secured to thesaid legs; and a series of spaced backing members connecting the saidbar and top member.

RICHARD A. KLEIN.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Jarvis Oct. 18,1927 Leng May 21, 1929 Biescar May 22, 1934 Griffith June 5, 1934 SpangJan. 1, 1935 Rubenstein May 25, 1937 Jesse Apr. 19, 1938 Lundstrom Oct.25, 1938 Young Dec. 22, 1942 Chappory Apr. 6, 1943

